Bill Tracker

Creates a civil cause of action for a peace officer if the peace officer reports or discloses conduct that is in violation of, or the peace officer reasonably believes is in violation of, any law or policy and the report or disclosure is a contributing factor in the employer of the peace officer's decision to take adverse employment action against the peace officer. Additionally, creates an affirmative defense to the action if the peace officer's employer would have taken the action that forms the basis of the suit against the peace officer, based on a legitimate nonretaliatory basis.

Under current law, a person who is committed, arrested, or imprisoned has the right to communicate with their attorney. The bill specifies that a person also has the right to receive certain communications from their attorney. This includes in-person meetings in places of custody, telephone calls, or, if available, interactive audiovisual conferencing calls. Any communication must be private, and calls must be unrecorded and without cost to the person in custody. Finally, the bill also requires peace officers and facilities to allow a person in custody to receive a telephone or audiovisual call from their attorney if the person in custody expressly consents to the call.

Exempts a county from the requirement to operate a county jail if it has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with another county to operate a multijurisdictional county jail.

Requires a court to sentence an offender convicted of a class 4 felony sexual assault on a child or sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust to an indeterminate term of incarceration that can range from the presumptive range minimum of 2 years to a maximum of the offender's natural life. Also, requires a court to sentence an offender convicted of a class 3 felony sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust when the child is less than 15 years of age to an indeterminate term of incarceration that can range from the presumptive range minimum of 4 years to a maximum of the offender's natural life. Finally, prohibits a court from sentencing these types of offenders to probation.

Allows a political subdivision or an ambulance service providing ambulance services on behalf of the political subdivision to submit to the Division of Insurance the established rates for the ambulance services, if the rates meet specified conditions. Additionally, establishes reimbursement rates for ambulance services that are out of network.

Caps the maximum incarceration sentence for a municipal violation that has a comparable state law crime at the same length as the state-level offense. When there is no comparable state-level offense, the maximum period of incarceration is capped at the maximum for a state-level petty offense. Additionally, mandatory minimums and increased penalties based on prior convictions are prohibited unless the person is convicted of a municipal offense for which there is a comparable state offense or of an infraction that allows imposition of the same mandatory minimum or increased penalties based on prior convictions. Finally, caps a consecutive municipal sentence at 2 times the highest charge in the case.

Allows a peace officer, firefighter, volunteer firefighter, emergency medical service provider, or other individual who responds to a public safety emergency to request that their address be kept confidential in voter registration records. 

Under current law, a court is required to release a person on a personal recognizance bond if the person was charged with an offense for a violation with a maximum penalty that does not exceed 6 months' imprisonment, and the court cannot require the person to give security of any kind for their appearance for trial other than their personal recognizance, unless certain conditions exist. The bill clarifies these provisions apply in both state and municipal courts. The bill adds to the conditions for which a person may be required to give security that the defendant previously failed to appear in court 2 or more times in the present case. Additionally, existing law prohibits a court from imposing a monetary condition of release for a defendant charged with a traffic offense, petty offense, or comparable municipal offense, or a municipal offense for which there is no comparable state misdemeanor offense, with specified exceptions. The bill adds exceptions to that law for (1) certain petty offenses if the defendant has previously failed to appear in court 2 or more times in the present case and (2) any other petty offense, traffic offense, or a comparable municipal offense or a municipal offense for which there is no comparable state offense, if the defendant has previously failed to appear for a court proceeding 3 or more times in the present case and has another pending charge for the same offense in the same jurisdiction.

Prohibits the manufacture, distribution, transfer, sale, or purchase of certain semiautomatic firearms. Establishes a process for a person that has completed certain firearm-related courses to acquire firearms otherwise prohibited by the bill. Specifically, sheriffs must authorize a person to take these classes after completion of a fingerprint-based background check, and then Colorado Parks and Wildlife verifies that required educational classes have been completed.

Requires the Wildfire Information and Resource Center website to include hyperlinks to websites that display emergency information and wildfire updates for each county in Colorado and requires the Division of Fire Prevention and Control to coordinate with county governments in order to provide the hyperlinks.

Increases the number of district court judges and county court judges in numerous districts and counties. Additionally, the number of judges serving on the court of appeals. Finally, allows the district court judges assigned to Arapahoe county to maintain offices outside of the county seat.

Creates a single point of contact for emergency alert systems and expands the scope of the Colorado Broadband Office to include access to wireless service.

Makes various changes regarding justice-involved youths, including to the Youthful Offender System, the juvenile competency process, presentence credits, and creates a new grant program to implement a mixed-delivery system of trauma-informed health and development deflection programs for youth.

Allows a police officer, local official, or local government employee to cooperate federal officials regarding the immigration status of a person within the state. Additionally, allows a peace officer who has probable cause to believe that a person is not legally present in the United States to report the person to the federal immigration and customs enforcement office. Finally, repeals the law that State and local governmental entities are barred from contracting with a private entity for immigration detention services or entering into agreements for immigration detention services.

Establishes the Building Urgent Infrastructure and Leveraging Dollars (BUILD) Authority and creates a public financing mechanism to fund the development, construction, repair, improvement, operation, maintenance, decommissioning, or ownership of infrastructure projects.

Adds one additional county representative to the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board, removes the Board's ability to define the wildland-urban interface and instead defines it in statute, and requires each county to approve and submit to the Board a wildland-urban interface map. Additionally, requires the Board to adopt minimum codes and standards related to wildfire resiliency after receiving a wildland-urban interface map from every county. Indicates that governing bodies, like counties, have one year from the Board's adoption of the minimum codes and standards to adopt the codes. 

The bill modifies current state immigration law regarding compliance by political subdivisions, engagement with federal immigration authorities, court petitions, affidavits, and consumer protections.